Top to frame connecting structure mechanism



Sept. 2, 1952 w, POE 2,609,264

TOP TO FRAME. CONNECTING STRUCTURE MECHANISM Filed Dec. 19, 1949 V 2SHEETSSHEET 1 'LIM I i I. ll NVEN'TOR WILLIAM A. Pos 3 2 2 *4 ORN ' P 2,1952 w. A. POE

TQP FRAME CONNECTING STRUCTURE MECHANISM Filed Dec. 19, 1949 2SHEETS-SHEET 2 \uvem'ow; WMJAM A. Poe

A'naauevs Patented Sept. 2, 1952 TOP T0 FRAME CONNECTING STRUCTUREMECHANISM William A. Poe, Muskegon Heights, Mich., as-

signor to Browne-Morse Company, Muskegon Heights, Mich, a corporation ofMichigan Application December 19, 1949, Serial No. 133,758

7 1 This invention relates to a furniture connection, and is moreparticularly concerned with a novel structural connecting means whichmay be used between the top of the desk and its pedestals, or the top ofa table and its under frame or in other analogous furniture articleswhich have tops and under supporting structures.

.In the present invention a top of sheet metal I is quickly andeasily-secured to its under sup- An understanding of the invention maybe had 9 from the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which,

7 Claims. (Cl. 311-108) Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an articleof furniture, a desk, with the top secured in place, the securing meansbeing covered and out of sight.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view, with parts brokenaway for better disclosure, illustrating the connecting means used, thelower part attached at the upper ends of desk pedestals and the uppercooperating part at the under side of the top.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal section at one end of thetop and pedestal showing the top releasably secured in place, the planeof the section being substantially that indicated at line 3-3 of Fig. 4.1

Figs. 4 and 5 are horizontal sections looking downwardly taken,respectively, on the planes of lines l'4 and 5-5 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section looking in the direction indicated,substantially on the plane of line 6-45 of.Fig..3.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in thedifferent figures ofthe drawings.

The desk pedestals I which are shown as the under supports for the desktop may be of any conventional structure. With my invention at the upperend and outer side, and also if desired, at the, inner side of eachpedestal, a horizontal channel having a web 2 and vertical downwardlyextending flanges 3 of metal, is secured which, preferably, will extendfrom front to rear the full length of-the pedestal being welded orotherwise permanently secured in place. Adjacent each end of eachchannel (Fig. 2), a locking member is secured which includes a flat bar4 of metal at the under side of theweb 2 of the channel, welded thereto,which at one end is reduced in thickness to make a tongue 5 bent up- 2wardly and extending through a slot in the web 2. Above the slot thetongue 5 terminatesin a generally rectangular head 6 substantially likean arrowhead in shape, the under edges 6a of which converge downwardlytoward each other-at an angle to the horizontal asp-shown in Fig. 6. 7

The top comprises a flat rectangular sheet of" metal I; havingdownturned end flanges 8 and front and rear downwardly extending flanges9; the cross section of which, preferably, will be as shown in Fig. 3.The top is adapted to cover the upper ends of the pedestalsl and thewell between them, or any drawer which maybe located in the upperportion of such well.

At the under side of the horizontal top plate 1, transversely thereof,inverted channels are secured in position, so that when the top is applied over the pedestals, oneof' said channels will be above and extendlengthwise of and rest}: against the web 2 of the cooperating channelbelow it. Each of the upper channels attachedato the top having a lowerhorizontal web Ill, spaced vertical sides I I and outwardly extendingflanges I2 which are spot welded to the top I (Fig.3)."w In the lowerWeb ID near each end thereof, a slot I3 is cut; When the top is put inplace, the heads 6 of the connecting members previously described passthrough the slots I3. At each end of each upper channel and in one ofits sides'xl I,

a horizontal slot I4. is cut which is substantially longitudinallyaligned withthe locking me'mberxl head 6 which passes through theadjacent slot On the upper side ofthe Web. ID of eachiof said topattached channels, and at eachflendt' thereof, a guide formed from aplate of flat'met'al is permanently secured. Such guide ha'sjaflatg.

side l5 welded to its associated web [0.1 aAtBa-ch edge it is bentupwardly in ashort leg 'IG, and

continued in a'horizontal flange Il above and parallel with the web- Illlocated below it.

The; guides described are located, one in aligne ment with each of theside slots I4. Through the slots I4 releasable holding keys areinserted-7 L Each of said keys is; bent from a single length-f of springwire rod into a generally U-shape, havjmg a closed end I8 from whichlegs extend, spaced from each other. Each of the legs includesrin-jtermediate sections I9 between its endssuchsections I9 in a key arespaced apart distances such that they may embrace the upwardly"extending short legs I6 of the described guides,- Near the free ends ofsaid legs are other par allel sections 20 spaced close. together, whichterminate in outwardly diverging ends 2|. The connections between thesections 20 and l9, at 22, provide shoulders at-theinner ends of thelegs I6 of the guides, while the angularly dist posed connectingsections 23 between'the outerends of the parallel sections" I9 and theeased;

larly engage 'against the outer ends of the guide.

legs Hi.

When the top is put in place for connection with the supportingstructure therebelow, pedestals in the cases of the desks, the headsfi'pass through the slots l3 and extend above the webs I of the severaltransverse inverted channels secured to the top. The keys are insertedthrough the slots 14. The flared ends H of the opposed legs of the keysride upon the guides therefor which spring the sides or legs of the keysoutwardly so that the keys may be moved to the position shown in Figs. 4and 5, whereupon the sections 19 embrace the legs I6 of their associatedguidsand-the-sections 20 come underneath the downwardly converging loweredges 60. of-the heads 6-9 This providesa wedging action which tends-topull the top attached channels downwardly to hold the webs thereof inclose contact engagement with the webs 2 of the pedestal connectedchannels. The top is therefore secured in position by inserting theseveral keys through the. slots I4 and engaging them with their guides.Such keys are held against movement by reason of the shoulders at theends of the sections 19 engaging opposite ends of the legs l6- of theguides therefor.

With the pedestal attached channels, one at each innerand outer side atthe upper end of each pedestal, and with a like number of top attachedchannels to lie thereover, and with the through said webs of thechannels and above the channels, terminating iniupwardly extending headswider than "associatedbars where connected thereto, a horizontal top offlat metal,

channel members secured at the under side tending from front to rearhaving lower webs slots' M at one side of each of the top attachedchanneland at each end thereof there will be eight keys used... Ofcourse the number of trans-- versechannels which may be used is subjectto variation if wantedy Also, if desired, only two channels on r the topand their corresponding channels. on the pedestals may be key lockedtogetherzat' each end in the manner stated, and other channels servingto support and strengthen and reinforce the top and hold it againstdown-. ward departure from a horizontal plane. While. the :channels.attached to the pedestal and those attached to the top extend the fulllength from fronttoi. rear of each,. so far as the releasable connectionis concerned, the intermediate portions of all of the channels could beremoved and the releasable locking still operate in the same mannen;

Theistructure described is practical, economical-and is very useful. Theattachment is a secure one and isperformed rapidly. Thekeys maybe-removed-by-pulling on their closed ends [8 by a suitable implement iffor any reason the top is to be removed. In a desk for example, theupper I drawers in the. pedestals and any slides in the way of reachingthe keys may be withdrawn and the keys be-rendered accessible forwithdrawal by means of a screw driver, pliersor other suit able tool.

The invention is defined in the appended claimsand'isto be consideredcomprehensive of all forms of structure coming within theirscope.

nently secured to the under" supporting struc-' ture, short barspermanently secured to the under sides-of said webs of said channelsadjacent each" end thereof and extending upwardly and upwardly extendingflanges located to rest upon webs of the channel members secured to thesupporting structure, said channels connected with the top havingopenings through their webs for the passage upwardly therethrough ofsaid heads, and said channels, in a flange thereof, having slots alignedin the direction of the length of the top with the slots in the webs,and keys insertable through said slots in said flanges adapted to engagewith said heads to prevent separation of the top and supportchannelsfrom' each other.

2. A' structure as defined in claim 1, and guides secured at the uppersides of said top connectedchannels for guiding said keys intoconnection; with said heads and for holding'them against verticalmovement with respect to their associated channels.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2', said keyshaving intermediatesectionsof their sidesparal-- lel to each other, and said guides havingupward-'- ly extending spaced apart sides along the outersides of whichsaid intermediate sections of the keys pass and said keys in each sidethereof hav ing additional parallel sections to pass-under said heads.

4. A structure as defined in claim 3, the free ends of said sides of thekeys diverging outwardly from each other and the intermediate and lastmentioned parallel sections of the legs of said keys being integrallyconnected to provide shoulders, said shoulders engaging with the guidesand normally preventing outward movement of the 6. In a furnitureconstruction, a horizontal top,

channel members secured to said top underneath it adjacent each endthereof, said channel members having openings in the web portionthereof, an under supporting structure for thetop, addi -v tionalchannel members having upper. horizontal webs and downwardly extendingflanges; permanently secured at the upper side of: saidunder. supportingstructure and located in .azposition to be underneath .the channelmembers.connected with the-stop, upwardly extending: headed.

members secured'to the channel members attached to the under supporting:structure and extending th'ereabove, said headed members having heads ofa substantial triangular shape hav-- ing bases at their lower sides andconvergingup wardly from said bases and having narrow por-- tionsextending from and below said heads to connect with the associatedchannel members,

said heads being adapted to pass through the slotsof the Webs of the topconnected channel comprising a generally U-shaped member of resilientmaterial, the spaced sides of which have diverging free ends adapted topass one at each 5 side of the narrow portions connected to andextending below associated heads and underneath the bases ofthe heads,thereby releasably engaging with said heads and holding them in secureconnection with the top holding channel members, and means on said topconnected channel members for holding and guiding said keys.

7. A structure containing the elements in combination defined in claim6, said key holding and guiding means comprising plates of sheet metalpermanently secured at the upper sides of the webs of said top connectedchannel members, one at one side of each of the slots in the websthereof, said plates at their edge portions having each an upwardlyextending short leg terminating in a horizontal laterally extendingflange spaced from and parallel with the web to which attached, the

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 149,904 Weston Apr. 21, 1874261,356 Joyner July 18, 1882 1,709,406 Pond Apr. 16, 1929 2,195,223OConnor Mar. 26, 1940

